Gender, science and technology network at the
UNESCO World Conference on Science
Budapest, June 26 - July 1, 1999

A gender, science and technology network at the UNESCO World Conference on Science worked successfully to increase the gender presence at the conference and in its final Declaration and Framework of Action.

The majority of recommended amendments to the documents generated by the network were accepted into the Declaration and Framework for Action. A key recommended change was included as an entire paragraph (90) in the Conference Framework for Action:

"Special efforts should be made by governments, education, scientific communities, non- governmental organizations and civil society, with support from bilateral and international agencies, to ensure the full participation of women and girls in all aspects of science and technology, and to this effect:

• to transform the education system promoting access of girls and women to scientific education at all levels
• to transform the research environment to ensure recruitment, retention, and advancement
• to launch, with the support of UNIFEM, UNESCO national, regional and global campaigns to raise awareness of the contribution of women to science and technology, in order to overcome existing gender stereotypes among scientists, policy makers and the community at large
• to undertake research, supported by collection and analysis of sex disaggregated data, documenting constraints and progress in expanding the role of women in science and technology
• to monitor implementation and document best practices and lessons learnt through impact assessment and evaluations
• to ensure an appropriate representation of women in national, regional and international policy bodies and fora.

To sustain these initiatives governments should create appropriate mechanisms, where these do not yet exist, to propose and monitor introduction of the necessary policy changes in support of the attainment of these goals. "

The other proposed amendments refer to the inclusion of gender issues and the highlighting of the contribution of women to science and technology, but also to concerns and issues considered important by women, such as: equitable and sustainable development; peace; traditional knowledge participation of currently underrepresented groups in international scientific bodies; decision-making and ethical committees; medium, small and micro enterprises as partners for technical innovation; and the adjustment of science education and curricula according to national realities.

According to an analysis by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Women Engineering Professionals Advocates' Network (WEPAN), only 22.9% of the national delegates were women. As Dr. Shirley Malcom, member of the Gender Advisory Board, UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (UNCSTD), and Director of Education and Human Resources, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) noted, the analysis is limited by the list of participants that was available for the conference. "This is but one indicator of the position of women in the World Conference on Science. When taken together with other indicators (e.g. statistics on degree where available), the data re-affirm the marginal position of women in the lager community of science, a situation that must be addressed if science and technology are to become tools for the development of women and men, if women are to be full partners in guiding the progress and advancement of science ."

Under-representation of women both at the major plenaries and as panelists at thematic sessions was offset by the mention of the importance of gender in 80% of the presentations by national delegations at the conference.

The network held regular networking meetings which were attended by many delegation members and which enabled a two way flow of information and targeted lobbying. Other lobbying strategies included a gender, science and technology exhibition area, work with the NGO group at the Conference, and raising gender issues in workshop sessions. The gender activities and exhibition space at the conference were made possible in part by a UNESCO/UNIFEM grant.

More information on gender at the UNESCO World Conference on Science is available at the Once and Future Action Network web site including links to press releases, news articles, and the Conference Declaration and Framework for Action documents.